Imai was expected to get a multi-year contract that would earn him a notable salary after several seasons of good production in Japan.
He’s been a reliable player overseas, and he projects as a quality center in the majors, with some upside to reach the next level if he adapts and develops properly.
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Most baseball insiders believed there was a lot of interest in the pitcher, although according to the player himself, this did not result in a formal offer.
“Apparently there are not many concrete options on the table yet,” Imai said in Japanese on the Japanese television channel TV Asahi.
“And it appears that teams showing interest and receiving a formal offer are completely different things.”
Free agency for international players will be difficult, especially since there are a lot of risks associated with big deals involving talent that hasn’t played in the United States.
Imai seems well aware of the challenges Japanese players face.
“With Masataka Yoshida, it looks like the Red Sox didn’t even come to Japan to see him, and the deal was done in one day.” Imai added.
“And with [Munetaka] Murakami, no one predicted how it would end. The media doesn’t actually know. What I really see for myself – what I think and feel – becomes the truth for me. That’s the only thing I trust.”
Imai is a client of Scott Boras and gets the help of a real super agent, who should help him get the best possible offer and the most money.
Most reports peg him at the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, although his market should be quite broad, with varying dollar figures.
What did Imai say about the Dodgers?
One team Imai won’t sign with is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have drawn the pitcher’s ire despite Los Angeles having a significant Japanese talent base.
“Of course I would love to play alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki, but winning against such a team and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I would rather eliminate them,” Imai said earlier this season.
“If there was another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them anything, right? But that’s not really what I’m looking for.”
“In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face to face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them myself – that’s part of what I’m excited about.”
The Dodgers were never going to seriously pursue Imai, regardless of what he said, because their starting rotation was already the best in baseball, and other parts of the field needed work.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn images
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